Commercial farmers meet Damara

19 March 2010, New Era
URL: http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=10014&sid=e716ba00df02c44f616e5483046098b7

Windhoek:  In an effort to reduce tension and hostility between commercial farmers in the Khomas Hochland area and the Damara-speaking community falling under the /Khomanin Traditional Authority, the two groups met over the weekend to iron out differences between them.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss complaints arising from the commercial farmers, the farm workers and the various communities in the Khomas Hochland. Central to the problems are alleged stock theft, looting and illegal game hunting on the surrounding farms.

Chief of the /Khomanin Traditional Authority, Gaob Josephat Gawa-!nab, alongside senior members of his council called the meeting to meet with the commercial farmers.

Commercial farmers in the surrounding areas have long complained about theft, looting and pillaging of their resources by community members and even some farm workers who are the subjects of Gaob (chief in Damara) Gawa-!nab.  On their part, the farm worker community have complained of ill treatment by the farmers in the vicinity.

The /Khomanin Traditional Authority whose reign is in the Khomas Region says that it carries the interest of all subjects residing under its rule – meaning those in the Khomas Region.

Commercial farmer Wickus Esterhuizen from farm Hureb said that the commercial farming community endures a variety of problems, among them the theft of livestock and illegal hunting on their farms.  He complained that attempts to address the issue with the farm worker communities only led to disagreement and counter-accusations. This, he said, could be attributed to cultural differences between the farmers and the workers.

Esterhuizen said the meeting between the farmers and the /Khomanin Traditional Authority was long overdue – but pleaded with the traditional authority on their behalf to relay the message to their subjects about the damage that thefts, looting and illegal hunting can do to the economy.

The meeting also discussed the pertinent issue of land acquisition and resettlement.

Gaob Gawa-!nab stressed that his subjects to date remain without their ancestral land, most of which is occupied by commercial farmers.  On this Gaob Gawa-!nab wondered for how long his subjects would be without land. According to Gaob Gawa-!nab the Khomas Hochland area was once home of the !Khomanin Damara-speaking communities, who are now scattered in Windhoek and other outlying areas.

The /Khomanin authority has been lobbying Government for their ancestral land since 2000 with little success.

Gaob Gawa-!nab also blames the willing-buyer, willing-seller policy – “that it is painstakingly slow and should rather be done away with”.

He said it is evident that the Namibian Government is kept hostage by the laws that they have enacted and that the continuation of the current situation is not in the interest of the Namibian people.

“I cannot guarantee the patience of my people that have been dispossessed of their ancestral land since time immemorial.  My clan and I believe and adhere to the policy of reconciliation despite the hardship, disrespect and ill treatment that we suffer at the hands of our country men and women,” said Gaob Gawa-!nab.